Knicks take step in the right direction by hiring David Fizdale

The New York Knicks decided to give well-respected coach David Fizdale a second chance in a head coaching position.

The list of New York Knicks coaches over the past 10 years hasn’t exactly been an awe-inspiring one. In fact, since Jeff Van Gundy left the franchise following the 2001 season, only Mike Woodson has finished his Knicks tenure with a record over .500. On Thursday the Knicks added the next name to that list by agreeing to a four-year contract with David Fizdale, formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies.

While many will look at Fizdale’s record in Memphis and assume the Knicks made another bad hire, he could prove to be exactly what the franchise needs to take an important step forward.

What Fizdale is most famous for is his time as an assistant coach for the Heat for eight years under Erik Spoelstra, including during the Big Three years in Miami. During that time Fizdale developed a great reputation as a player development coach, which is exactly what the Knicks need right now.

With Kristaps Porzingis out for at least part of next season, the Knicks are going to be in a position where developing players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Frank Ntilikina and whoever they draft in this season’s NBA Draft is the most important goal. Fizdale also seems to have a great understanding of modern basketball, as evidenced by his goading Marc Gasol to finally start shooting 3-pointers during his time in Memphis. With his experience working with Gasol and Chris Bosh in Miami, Fizdale should be a great mind to mold Porzingis into the type of dominant force he can be, with his ability to protect the rim and shoot 3-pointers.

While all of the basketball-related ideas and philosophies that Fizdale has publicly talked about match the modern game, his downfall in Memphis was an inability to connect to his veteran team, which he eventually lost. Luckily for the Knicks, that shouldn’t be an issue in New York.

Unlike with the Grizzlies, Fizdale is entering a place where there seems to be no established culture and style, and especially not one that has led to important wins. Considering how many former players have tweeted out support for Fizdale since the news broke, the lack of connection in Memphis looks like it could have just been a situation where the timing was not right and not one that will consistently show up. If given time, and the four-year contract he received seems to indicate he will be, Fizdale could be the perfect coach to get the Knicks from lottery fixture to playoff team in the near future.

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At the very least the Knicks hiring a younger coach that connects to the modern game instead of a big name from a past era is a great step. The results won’t be known for certain for a few years but what is clear now is the Knicks are at least moving in the right direction.